Good news and bad news from Columbia activity

Wednesday

Jun 20, 2012 at 12:28 AM

After being out of proper session for a week, I want to share my take on what has happened and, unfortunately, what has not happened. First, the good news.

We have a new delegation member with the primary win by Weston Newton. We all look forward to working with the new representative from District 120. Weston is a hard worker and has a good grasp on all the issues of local concern. His addition to the new Beaufort/Jasper delegation will begin to pay dividends the second Tuesday of next year as the General Assembly reconvenes.

I was impressed by the quality of the campaigns of both chairman Newton and councilman Stewart. They are both friends of mine and I had very high expectations for the contest. With the number of well-attended debates, both candidates had the time and the ability to articulate their respective visions for the benefit of the new district. To my knowledge, neither campaign showed any interest in personal attacks, unfair tactics, or anything other than presenting the best they had to offer. I am proud of the example they set, and I sincerely hope their campaigns become the new norm for South Carolina politics.

What has not been accomplished can once again be placed at the doorstep of the "other" chamber of the General Assembly. While our Senator Tom Davis does a credible job, it's like he is the lone ranger when it comes to passing even common sense measures though the Senate. For example, the Senate killed two out of three major tax reform proposals passed by the House. The Senate killed the Freedom of Information Act expansion. This House-passed bill would have eliminated research charges and exorbitant printing charges for public records requests, as well as open the state email accounts of lawmakers to the public. After all the talk of "transparency" and open government, here is the real information: These folks have no interest in making our government more open. We pass what we believe in.

The School Choice Bill passed by the House this year died in the Senate. For the eighth time since 1994, the House passed strict spending caps on the state budget. For the eighth time since 1994, the Senate rejected spending caps of any kind. Even the Taxpayer Fairness Act was killed. This House-passed bill assured that law-abiding taxpayers are treated with respect and makes government agencies enforce the tax laws in a fair manner.

I was particularly steamed by the rejection of the Angel Investment Act. This is a bill that would offer tax credits to those who invest in small technology startup companies. We seem to talk a good game of job creation, but when it comes down to creative measures to get it done, somehow the Senate seems to fall short. There are a couple of companies being housed at the Don Ryan Center for Innovation at Buckwalter Place right now that are one or two angel investments away from success. Laurel Herter's BottlesUp outfit in downtown Bluffton is one angel investment away from going global. Perhaps motivated by the tax credits of the Angel Investment Act, that last investment might have allowed Laurel to hire half 100 folks instead of her current half dozen.

Next week, we will continue the session recap. In truth, there are some very positive things you need to hear about.

Bill Herbkersman, R-Bluffton, represents District 118 in the South Carolina House of Representatives. He can be reached through his website at www.herbkersman.com or by telephone at 757-7900.

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